What to Know
- Red Rock Wilderness at Irvine Ranch Open Space
- The area, which is around 1,500 acres, features "more than 8 miles of new trails for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding"
- Visitors may access the nature area "through scheduled programs only" (a list of upcoming events is on this site); "self-guided exploration" is possible during special Wilderness Access Days; parking is free
Gazing at a map that shows the enormous acreage that comprises the Irvine Ranch Open Space can prompt even the most dedicated hiker or horse lover to wonder if, just maybe, they'd ever have time to enjoy every hill, dell, and scenic vista.
Those vistas just grew even grander, though, thanks to the opening of the Red Rock Wilderness, a region overseen by OC Parks.
The Saturday, May 18 ribbon-cutting means that visitors can now roam the glorious and wild expanses of the region via several scheduled programs.
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The area includes superb views of the Santa Ana Mountains as well as "8 miles of new trails for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding."
The eye-catching rocks will also be a draw; they "developed their striking color and jagged appearance over time as the sediment oxidized and eroded, along with the gradual uplift of the Santa Ana Mountains."
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Critters aplenty, including grey foxes and mule deer, call the scrubby and spectacular stretches of Red Rock home; long, long ago, rhinos and crocodiles roamed the area, which is "(s)ituation on top of the 20- to 40-million-year-old Sespe Formation."
Future events may give geology buffs a "deeper" look into what the ancient formation is all about and how it impacted the Red Rock region in particular.
If you're eager to check out all of this airy and epic amazingness, several upcoming events are now posted. A 'Thursday Morning Trek' on June 13 should brim with late-spring loveliness while a 'Morning Mountain Bike Ride' on June 28 is an energy-stoking summer starter.
Again, you may gain access to the area "through scheduled programs only"; advance registration is required.
"Red Rock Wilderness is the perfect spot for your next outdoor adventure," said Chairman Donald P. Wagner, Orange County Board of Supervisors.
"I am thrilled to continue expanding outdoor recreation opportunities in Orange County and introducing even more residents to these beautiful spaces. I look forward to exploring this area and standing atop the red rock formations found here."
Other parts of Irvine Ranch Open Space have also made recent public debuts, with Saddleback Wilderness and Gypsum Canyon Wilderness opening in 2023.
"The land is part of 25,000 acres donated from the Irvine Company to the County of Orange for preservation and recreation," says the OC Parks team; learn more by visiting the Irvine Ranch Open Space site.
